FAQ #1: "But I Don't Usually Buy That!"

I'm surprised that so many people have viewed this blog so far! Thank you for checking out my little "corner."

You may have looked at some of my recent posts and thought "I would never use all that" or "My family doesn't eat that particular product" or "Well that's all great for you, but since I'm not going to buy that stuff, that kind of savings doesn't apply to me."

I get that a lot. And I used to think that myself.

There is no way, my family would consume the 50+ containers of frosting I've picked up in the last 2 weeks. (If we did, there would be other issues!) Sure, we'll use some - they're great to have on hand for spur-of-the-moment get-together's and quick recipe planning, but I will donate the majority of them.

What if you could get paid to buy stuff? Or essentially bring a bunch of things home for free and then get a little extra incentive thrown in that you could use towards things your family uses, like produce and meats, things that you don't usually see a lot of coupon savings towards. Would you do it?

I'm sure most of you would. That's the kind of savings I am able to get. That is why I bring home 50 cans of frosting. Last week, I made a profit off buying that frosting, along with numerous other items. So along with getting free frosting, I earned money that I can apply to the other grocery products that my family needs and that you don't frequently see coupons for - meats, produce, etc. Not to mention it's a great feeling to donate things to others, to your local food bank, church, etc. You won't always have opportunities to get money back, but free is excellent too!

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My average weekly grocery bill to feed my family of 5, including "Target/Walmart" things, such as cleaning supplies, paper products, diapers, medicine, personal hygiene items, etc. is $50-$60. A big portion of that is for fruits & vegetables because my family eats a lot of produce.

On an occasion, I'll spend extra for stocking up. For example: in early January, I spent around $100 at Shaws in one week, something I never do. But I came home with 25 large bottles of Tide, 40+ boxes of Tampax tampons, over 60 Crest toothpaste, 30+ Dawn, 10 Cascade, 30+ bottles of Pantene shampoo, conditioner, stylers, not to mention cleaning supplies, like Mr Clean Erasers, and more. Was it worth it? I think so.

I shop in bulk; when something goes on sale - and it has to be within a range I will pay, usually free or extremely cheap, depending on the item - I stock up. I have well over 50 boxes of cereal in my barn (where we store everything.) I keep them stocked by their expiration dates and we use them up that way. That also helps me to donate things; if I know we won't use something up before it "expires," I can donate it.

With this method of shopping & planning ahead, I really only need to buy perishable items on any given week; bread, milk, produce, lunch meats, etc. because I already have everything else. It takes some planning & organization and it really is a completely different way of grocery shopping, but it works.

My husband thought it was hilarious the other day when I mentioned that I wouldn't pay 25 cents for toothpaste. It's too expensive. I never pay for toothpaste. Ever. If I see a sale at CVS where you pay $3 for a toothpaste and get $2 back and I have a 75 cents off coupon (so it would cost a quarter), that is too expensive for me and I won't do it. I get free toothpaste & mouthwash & floss from Walgreens, CVS, and Shaw's all the time. Many times, I get money back. Those are just a few items I get for free, there are many, many more - body wash, deodorant, razors, lotion, medicine, etc.

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All that being said, there's the potential to do a lot more than I do. I know of some people who donate hundreds of bags to food banks and send weekly boxes to troops overseas with all the free stuff they get. Isn't that amazing? I would love to do that one day, but for now, I'm doing all I can.

On the other hand, I know it's overwhelming to think about all this if you're new to couponing. You don't have to coupon on the scale that I do. I didn't get here overnight. I've been couponing for 6+ years now and have learned gradually. Give yourself a break and start out small. I'll post some basic tips soon - check those out when you can.

Thanks again for checking my little site out! Come back soon!

~Erika